South African authorities have confirmed reports showing that the massive influx of illegal immigrants into the country shows no signs of abating.
A total of 2 386 illegal immigrants have been arrested by the South African police since December 29, Limpopo police spokesperson Ronel Otto said on Monday.
These border jumpers entered the country through the various border posts, including Beitbridge, Pontdrift, Groblers Bridge and Stokpoort.
A Zimbabwean newspaper reported earlier in the day that about 100 Zimbabweans cross the border daily in search of jobs.
Otto said most of those arrested the past month were Zimbabweans. Occasionally, citizens from Bangladesh, Somalia or Pakistan also try to jump the borders. Many are also repeat offenders.
Otto said 753 illegal immigrants were arrested between January 5 and 12 this year, an average of 100 per day.
The rainy season often sees fewer immigrants entering the country, as the Limpopo River is flooding, making the crocodile-infested waters even more hazardous than usual.
”When the river is full, numbers are down,” said South African National Defence Force Colonel Gert Faul.
Zimbabweans seeking to escape economic hardship in their own country often wade across the river, which is only full two or three months in a year, Otto said.
The Herald said syndicates operating at Beitbridge use South African-registered vehicles to transport people from as far as Bulawayo to Johannesburg for a fee of between R800 and R1 000.
The immigrants are dropped on the Zimbabwean side of the Limpopo River, where they use a metal walkway under the Limpopo Bridge.
Once the illegal immigrants get to no-man’s-land, they use a rope tied to the tiers of the bridge to lower themselves to the banks of the river.
They then walk along the fence until they find an opening. After a walk through the bush, a transporter picks them up at an agreed meeting point.
Otto said police often conduct special operations with members from other units and at times join forces with Zimbabwe and Botswana’s police at borders.
”Policing is quite sufficient at the moment, although this is a vast border to patrol,” she said. — Sapa